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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Let's Meet Malaysia! (Petronas Towers)

If you happen to be in Malaysia, chances are you've at least transited through Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital city.  Dominating the city's skyline are the twin Petronas Towers, named after Malaysia's main gas and oil company.  Reflecting Malaysia's state religion of Islam, the two towers symbolize a mosque's minarets.  The floor plan, an eight-pointed star, is an important motif in Islamic art.  At one point the tallest building in the world, Petronas Towers were deposed in 2004 by the Taipei 101.  The Petronas Towers are still the world's tallest twin towers, and definitely a sight worth seeing if you find yourself in Kuala Lumpur!

A view of Petronas Towers from our hotel room.

Seeing the Towers is easy...getting up inside the Towers to see any sort of view is not. Only around 800 tickets are issued each day on a first come, first serve basis.  Make sure to get there early in order to appreciate the Towers' most stunning features- the Skybridge.  Because high winds can cause the Towers to move independently of each other, the bridge is not actually connected to either building; rather, it slides in and out of its slot to accommodate any Tower movement. Cool and freaky at the same time!

Not interested in going on the Skybridge or Observation Deck?  The bottom floors feature an absolutely enormous mall!  I wish I had some pictures to show you.  Alas, no photos inside the mall are allowed.



To get your tickets, make sure to get in line before they go on sale at 8:30am.  Plan your sightseeing schedule carefully, as the towers are only open Tuesday-Sunday.  Additionally, your viewing time could be any time from 9am-9pm, depending on what's available when you reach the ticket window.

Price-
Adults: RM80
Children: RM30

The Towers are easily accessible via inexpensive taxi.  Tourists Beware:  The taxi drivers who wait around the base of Petronas Towers have already agreed on the fare they will charge you.  Regardless of how many taxis you approach, they will quote you the same price. Kuala Lumpur city taxis all have signs saying they are metered, but in heavy tourist areas the drivers will often refuse to turn their meters on. 


If you prefer to avoid the taxis, Petronas Towers are also accessible via rail.  Exit at Kuala Lumpur City Station.  The Towers are right behind the station.


Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!

4 comments:

  1. WHAT IS HOLDING IT UP THEN!!?!? Sounds like a bad dream.

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  2. The bridge? As I understand, it fits into a slot in the tower on either end. As each tower sways, the bridge can then slide the appropriate amount needed to accommodate the movement. Yeah...ummmm...scary.

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  3. Where did you stay when you visited Kuala Lumpur?

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  4. We stayed at the Capitol Hotel, in the Golden Triangle area, for a couple nights. Most of the rest of our time in Malaysia was spent at the nearby beach resort of Avillion Port Dickson.

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